Going slow on extradition accord with US: officials

The China Post news staff--Major progress has yet to be made on talks over a possible extradition agreement between Taiwan and the United States, confirmed officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) and the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT).

Both sides have voiced interest in discussing and signing an extradition pact to help jointly fight crimes.

But there have been no breakthroughs thus far, mainly because Taiwan and the U.S. still hold different views on the purposes and definitions of certain terms or legal acts, according to a report by Taiwan's Central News Agency.

There are complicated issues involving tax and judicial affairs to be worked out, said officials on both sides.

A senior MOFA official in charge of North American affairs said that bilateral consultations on the Taiwan-U.S. extradition pact have been continuous, although no significant progress has been made.

Both U.S. officials posted in Taiwan and the MOFA officials said the two sides have been giving higher priority to reaching agreements on economic and trade cooperation, as well as investments, for the time being.